Chapter 2

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"Oh look, the changing of the guard," Steve spouted excitedly as he pointed at the men all dressed in red jackets and high furry hats marching in line in front of the palace. "I've always wanted to see this."

Luke just looked at Thor and shrugged. Neither one could see why their friend was so excited over the apparently reoccurring event, a bunch of oddly dressed men marching in a line. Nor his enthusiasm at seeing the palace in the first place. Luke just looked down at their guidebook hoping to see something of interest.

They'd let Steve lead the way of their tour of London. Neither one of them having any great ideas on things to see or do. And Steve being from New York, he seemed to have an instant grasp of the public transportation system. Though after a minute, Luke had figured out the tube system himself. Yet still had allowed Rogers to guide the way, not wanting to steal his thunder, so to speak.

"Wasn't that amazing," Steve asked a bit breathless with wonder as he bounced back to his friends. He didn't expect much out of Thor, who grew up in an actual palace, but Luke's apparent non-plussed attitude was interesting. Then again, they'd practically had to drag him out of the apartment today, so he shouldn't hope for too much. "So, where to next?"

"Just what are they doing," Luke asked looking quizzically as group after group of people stepped into the crosswalk and paused in similar poses, often halting the vehicle traffic, just so someone could take their photo.

"I honestly have no idea," Steve remarked watching in wonder himself. "Look, each group is doing the same pose. " He pointed out. Looking up at the street sign gave him no further clues as to why this corner of Abbey Road and Grove End Road would warrant such strange and often wreck-less behavior.

Luke looked over a woman's shoulder at where she was holding an old photo displaying a group of four men striking the same pose. As her group of friends crossed and paused, she held up the photo so it would be in the shot and took a picture.

"It appears to be a musical album cover that they're all emulating," Luke remarked watching the woman. "By a group called The Beatles. I believe I've heard their songs a time or two. " He remarked shaking his head at the tourists strange behavior. He slid back in closer to his Love and wrapped his arms about his waist, kissing him tenderly with a smile. "Well, this is all just too riveting." he noted sarcastically, his lips lilting with a devilish smirk. 'Shall we go home now?"

"What? No, there's still tons more to see, let's go you two," Steve chided. He could see Thor would've easily given into Luke's wishes.

Luke ruffled his curls and stared doubtfully at the brick house before them where a line of people were eagerly waiting to get inside. "I'm sorry my friend, I fail to share your enthusiasm on this one."

"Oh c'mon," Steve urged gesticulating towards the house with his hands. "221 B Baker Street? It's the house of Sherlock Holmes. Surely you know him? Heck, you're so similar, chief E.O.E." He added giving the slender man an playful nudge.

Luke just quirked an eyebrow warningly at Steve. He still despised that title. "Yes, I have heard of the FICTIONAL character written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyal, but fail to see the significance here. What exactly are those people wanting to see in there?"

"Well, the inside of Sherlock Holme's house of course," Steve replied, the smile still painted on his face despite his friend's lack of enthusiasm.

"So it's a fake house?" Luke asked curiously.

"No, it's a real house," Steve returned his smile now melting away.

"But Sherlock Holmes was fake," Luke retorted. "So what this is, is a fake house, filled with what, fake things?"

"No, real things that he would have used in his daily life," Steve sighed, this was going nowhere.

"Ah, I got it now, real things, inside a real house, built around a fake person," Luke returned, the corner of his mouth tilting up into the start of a smile.

"Sure, fine, whatever. Do you want to go in or not," Steve asked beginning to regret even coming here to begin with.

"I think I'll pass," Luke replied evenly.

Thor could see his friend's deflation and thumped Luke on the back soundly. "Come on Luke, I wish to learn more about this son of Holmes that Rogers thinks you resemble. Look, there is one of your shops of little gifts. We could at least go in there."

Luke just shrugged and allowed Thor to lead the way eagerly inside. The shop was full of books, shirts, coffee cups and funny little hats. Luke perused the books idly. Thor picked up one of the Deerstalker hats and placed it happily upon his love's head. Luke for his part ignored it and continued looking through the books.

"So who was this Son of Holmes," Thor asked still taking in the somewhat cramped shop.

"He was a fictional detective of old," Luke supplied. "Called in to solve the unsolvable crimes of his time. A supposed genius, though quite the sociopath."

"So, you've read these," Steve asked as he looked around, feeling unimpressed himself now that they were in there.

"A few," Luke replied flipping through the pages. "I found the author infuriating. He'd often withhold clues that Mr Holmes obviously had at the beginning of the story. Instead sprinkling them throughout, forcing you to read the whole thing. He must have surely known that any reader would have figured out who the villain was early on otherwise."

Steve just hummed and smiled, knowing Luke possessed a higher than average intelligence and problem solving abilities. "Or perhaps you're a bit of a genius yourself. " he added with a nudge.

"A highly intelligent detective tasked with solving crimes," Thor mused thoughtfully as he looped his arms around his love's waist and kissed the back of his neck. "I do see the resemblance, my love."

Luke smiled and shook his head as he placed the book back and finally removed the hat. Turning in his lover's arms to smile at him knowingly."Yes, except I do not wish to be this detective and the villain of my story is nowhere near the caliber of Mr Holme's arch nemesis Moriarty."

"Thank heavens for that," Steve replied thinking of the character he'd read about while in school. "Right, moving on then?"

"How long are we supposed to stare at it," Thor whispered looking at the large circular formation of stones from where he stood with his arm looped around Luke's waist.

"Well, I don't know. I'm not really versed in the etiquette of staring at rocks," Luke hissed back as they watched their friend wander in amazement between the stone spires. "What is it even supposed to be, other than a bunch of large stones placed in a circle?"

"I am uncertain as well," Thor replied in puzzlement. "I do not even know what a Henge is, other than this one is created of stone."

"Ah, I got it," Luke announced snapping his fingers as the idea occurred to him, causing Thor to look at him in curiously. "I'll bet that ages ago, there were these brothers and they were poor. The land here grew nothing but rocks. So they devised a plan, taking the largest of stones and placing them in a circle. See they knew people were curious and would stop to see what it was all about, so they'd charge them money to get a closer look. Hence, one of the world's earliest tourist traps."

"But why did they name it a Henge," Thor asked taking Luke's definition as the most likely plausible answer.

"Well, it was one of the brother's names,of course," He supplied smiling as Steve came huffing back up the hill towards them. "And Stone Alfred just didn't have the same ring to it."

"That's really something, huh," Steve asked as he reached his two friends at last.

They both smiled and nodded appreciatively, choosing to fake interest so not to crush Steve's spirit. "Yes, it is quite the...Henge." Thor added nodding almost thoughtfully.

Steve just chuckled and patted the big man on the arm. "Right, come on, it's getting late. I've got one more stop to make."

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Luke looked out the glass at the city stretching out before him as the translucent tube rose slowly towards the sky. The pleasant warmth of Thor's body pressed against his back and the familiar weight of his arms wrapped around his waist, only added to the seemingly enchanted moment. His lips tilted in an honestly serene smile at it all.

"See, now this is nice, huh," Steve remarked looking out the window beside him at the lights from Big Ben and the Parliament reflecting in the dark River Thames below. "Riding the London Eye at sundown. It doesn't get much better than this."

Luke just hummed in agreement as he pressed back against the stout form behind him. He liked the calmness of it all. The quiet of watching the city from inside their own personal glass bubble. Thor took it all in in silence, enjoying the relaxed form in his arms more than the view, So soft and pliant. He could feel his love seemed at such ease as he pressed back against him and couldn't help but to kiss his cheek tenderly.

Suddenly, their ethereal view of the city was distorted as tiny water drops conversed upon the outside of the tube. Collecting in number until the lights of the city were mere shimmers behind the now streaked view. Thor pulled back and looked at Luke curiously.

"Well don't look at me, I haven't felt this content in a long time," Luke retorted with a chuckle seeing both his love and his dear friend eyeing him questioningly. He turned in his lover's arms and wrapped his own about his neck. "I have my close friend beside me and my love before me, what do I possibly have to be sad about." he asked kissing Thor gently.

"I guess it's just London's weather," Steve chuckled rubbing his neck as he looked back out the window. Though Luke's words had bolstered him and gave him hope that everything was finally okay.

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